SHAMBHALA SUN MAY 2006
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“common vehicle,” also known as the Hinayana, or the vehicle of
the “listeners” or “hearers.”
The second and third turnings form the basis of the vehicle
known as the Mahayana. The second turning took place at Raja-
griha on Vulture Peak Mountain. There the Buddha taught the
Prajnaparamita Sutras, or the Sutras of Transcendent Knowledge.
In this phase of his teaching, Buddha emphasized the emptiness
or lack of true existence of both self and phenomena. The third
turning took place in various cities, beginning in Vaishali. At this
time, Buddha presented the teachings on tathagatagarbha, or
buddhanature. These focus on the luminous nature of emptiness
and reveal that the potential for buddhahood has always been
present within our hearts. At the same time, in the final turning
of the wheel of dharma, Buddha clearly distinguished between
the indicative and definitive meanings of his various teachings.
First Turning: The Four Noble Truths
IN HIS FIRST SERMON, addressed to his five previous students,
the Buddha taught the four noble truths: the truth of suffering,
the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of
suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to cessation. Bud-
dha presented these four truths in sets of two: the cause and result
of samsara and the cause and result of nirvana. Samsara refers to a
state of existence that is characterized by a predominance of suf-
fering, and nirvana refers to the state of liberation from suffering
as well as to the cessation of its causes.
When we examine these four noble truths, we see that the
first truth is the result—suffering—caused by the second truth,
the origin of suffering. The third truth is the result—nirvana—
which is realized through the fourth noble truth, the path that
leads to cessation of suffering. We see that the four noble truths
are causes and effects: the first two truths are the cause and ef-
fect of samsara; the second two truths are the cause and effect of
nirvana, or enlightenment.
The Truth of Suffering
The clear message of the first noble truth is that all of samsaric
existence and all of our experiences of it are characterized by suf-
fering, regardless of the type of life we may be leading. However,
as human beings, we have both the opportunity and capacity to
work with our suffering.
The first step to bringing suffering onto the path is to rec-
ognize and acknowledge it, instead of denying it. Once we can
do that, we have some ground for developing the further recog-
nition that all our experiences, whether pleasurable or painful,
have the same nature of suffering. Denial does not alleviate our
suffering, nor does it help to free us from suffering and its causes.
Obviously, if we do not recognize the presence of suffering, we
will have no reason to seek liberation.
Why is suffering the nature of existence? Everything that exists
or can be experienced on the level of relative reality is composite
in nature; therefore, it is impermanent and subject to birth and
death. The fundamental logic here is that since impermanence is
found at every level of existence, accordingly suffering is inher-
ent in samsaric existence.
It is easy to understand the coarse level of impermanence—
that, for instance, the house you have built will eventually start
to decay and at some point will exist no more. However, there is
a very subtle level of impermanence as well. When we perceive
this more subtle level, we see the impermanence inherent in con-
tinuity itself: when we look closely at our experience, we see that
each moment arises, abides, and ceases. In order for the next mo-
ment to arise, the present moment must cease. When we perceive
the momentary nature of all our experience, we see that we are
rendered helpless in matters of choice. Do we have a choice to
remain in this moment for another moment? No. We have no
choice but to let go. We cannot hang on to any living experience
for more than a brief moment, whether that experience is a bliss-
ful or agonizing one.
This is very difficult to understand fully and requires a grad-
ual understanding through the threefold process of hearing,
contemplation, and meditation. However, if this subtle imper-
manence is understood, then one is very close to understanding
emptiness, which is the ultimate nature of all things.
The Truth of the Origin of Suffering
Once we have realized the truth of suffering, then the question
is, “What are the causes of this suffering?” In the second noble
truth, Buddha taught that our suffering originates in our false
belief in a truly existent, permanent self. This fixation is the basis
for the arising of certain mental afflictions, or destructive emo-
tions, called the “three root poisons”: passion, aggression, and
ignorance. From these three poisons, we experience the develop-
ment of further negative emotions and all aspects of suffering.
Since these poisons result from ego-clinging, the root of all our
suffering is our ego-clinging.
When we examine our experience of suffering further, we also
see that it is connected to our actions. Therefore, it is important
to understand the relationship of our actions to our suffering. In
Buddhist terminology, when we speak of “actions,” we are speak-
ing of karma, the natural relationship of cause and effect. Simply
speaking, karma, which means “action,” refers to action within
our mind; it refers to the movement of thoughts, intentions, and
motivations. This mental action leads us to or results in physical
action—either the physical action of speech or the physical ac-
tion of body. Thus, in a genuine understanding of karma, actions
take place in our mind rather than on the physical level.
We are constantly involved in accumulation of karma, and
in Buddhism, this accumulation is divided into three basic cat-
egories: negative actions, positive actions, and neutral actions.
From this perspective, whatever thoughts we might entertain